Brandon’s Top Ten Horror Films

Thanks to everyone who tuned into our first few episodes. We really can't thank you enough, and want to engage with other horror fans and podcasters.

On our first episode, at the end of the episode, Alan and I went back and forth through our top ten favorite horror films of all time. So, I've decided to duplicate mine here on the site. Sure, I could just post the link to my list on Letterboxd, but I'm a bit self-indulgent when it comes to lists and enjoy doing them. Also, I'm always happy to talk about them and we need more content on here, so, here we go.

Please note that these are my favorite horror films, not what I'm saying are the best of all time. Nostalgia plays heavily into these films for me, so sometimes I can love a bad movie but think it's not really a great film. Make sense?

Side note: for those who have listened to episode one, you'll notice that my list has changed. I consider this to be a living document, and it changes depending on my mood. It stays fairly consistent, but does flex from time to time.

Let's get started, and we'd love to interact with you and hear some of your lists! Please share them with us on here or on Facebook. Also, I'm going to keep my writing fairly short and only share one or two things that I love about each.

#10 - Phantasm

I came across the Tall Man and the terrifying Sentinels when I was really young, like most of the movies on my list. Someone in my family was watching it, and I stumbled along and was scared out of my wits. I also thought Reggie was about the coolest dude I'd seen too.

I really think this film has held up well, and I enjoy the sequels as well, boyyyyyyyyyyyy!

#9 - Aliens

When I first did my list, I had Alien at this spot instead of Aliens. While I think Alien is a better movie, I've always thought that Aliens is my favorite. Maybe I was trying to act cooler and going with what people would expect. /shrug

I saw Aliens right when it came out, and I was scared to death. I'll never forget the fear I felt the first time I heard the sound from their tracking devices.

#8 - Night of the Living Dead

When it comes to horror movies, two themes I've always found fascinating is loss and feelings of hopelessness. It's something we all experience in real life, and perhaps it's catharsis to watch stories related to this.

The first time I watched Night of the Living Dead, I couldn't believe the way it ended. This is his fate after all of this? I was intrigued, and with it I found myself in a whole new world where things didn't always work out in the end like so many other films and books showed me. But it was still a film of perseverance, and I would like to think that I would have the same bit of that if I were in a horrifying situation. This film also led to my favorite film of all time.

#7 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was one of the first films I watched where I remember thinking "OMG, I'm way too young to watch this, and it's awesome!" It felt very taboo to me, which like with most kids, was part of the appeal. But I didn't see this one right away, or even know about it. I was introduced to it by another Chainsaw:

Francis 'Chainsaw' Gremp from Summer School. If I ever make a top list of 80s films, this would be near the top.

#6 - Friday the 13th The Final Chapter

I had a big brother named Bryce who was five years older that I, and I remember watching this with him. I think the initial appeal came from a combination of boobs, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, and boobs. I don't care what anyone says, and this is a list of my favorites, but this is the best Friday with the best Jason.

#5 - Halloween

A lot of my other horror pals have this at #1, and it was higher until our episode on The Exorcist, but as mentioned: things move around on my list from time to time.

I'll always love Halloween, not because of nostalgia (I didn't see Halloween 1978 for the first time until high school with my friend Lydia), but just because of what it did for film and for who Michael Myers was. No motivation, just a monster.

To be honest, a lot of times, I think Halloween 2 is scarier. Also, Halloween 4 gave me my first and still biggest celebrity crush:

That's right, I'm making this attachment way larger than it needs to be. <3 Danielle Harris

Even saying that, Halloween is still perfection. The scene where Michael sits up, and the way Carpenter scored it, still nails it.

#4 - The Thing

Earlier, while writing about Aliens, I mentioned the sound of their tracking devices and the anxiety that caused me. Well, The Thing is an entire movie of that anxiety for me. The tension built is perfection, along with the score, practical effects, and well, everything. Like all of the movies on my top ten, there all 10/10, but this one goes all the way to 11.

#3 - The Exorcist

We did a whole episode on this, so no need to gush here. We did enough of that already. This isn't just one of the greatest horror films of all time. It's one of the finest films ever made period. Go check out our episode if you haven't heard it yet!

#2 - A Nightmare on Elm Street

My number two and number one can switch back and forth, but Freddy will always be my bad guy. The idea of a character that attacks you in the one place you can't avoid forever is terrifying. Other than the ending, it still holds up so well. I rewatch the whole franchise every October, and while there are a few in the franchise I really struggle getting through now, I'll always look forward to it.

#1 - Dawn of the Dead

My sister Meg was about ten years older than me, and was responsible for exposing me to both music and film that shaped my life. I remember going to stay with her at a friends house when I was young, and this guy (Greg; I still haven't forgotten that random dude's name because of how much this movie impacted me) put on Dawn of the Dead.

It was like I had never seen the sky before. I was glued to the screen. The fun gore at the beginning, to the rednecks shooting zombies, and being trapped in a mall with gun stores (so many fun things to shoot) was all amazing.

Out of all of my movies I've owned, this is the one I always go to when I just need something to watch. I even loved the remake.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ken Foree a few years ago, and he was awesome. I also met Tom Savini at the same event, which I was so excited for, but I ended up getting on those Savini experiences where he was a jerk. But it still hasn't made me dislike anything about this movie, or the incredible contributions he has made to our genre.

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So that's it. Any similar movies on your lists? We'd love to hear them, and mention them on the show. And if you haven't checked out episode one where we cover this, you can check it our right here, or on any of the major podcasting services, such as iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, etc.